May 17, 2017 // by Emanuel // Age 4-8, Kids' Panel // Comments Off on Emanuel pieces together what Lego’s Build Zone is all about

Hello, my name is Emanuel and today I’m going to review Build Zone. If you don’t know what it is, let me tell you: it’s a series that features different kids building Lego sets. Sometimes there is a friend that helps the host.

Build Zone is a video series on YouTube by the Lego company. They build Lego sets with a friend and there are four seasons of the show. The show is very descriptive and interesting because the hosts REALLY put a lot of effort into it. If you watch it you will notice this by how the hosts describe the different parts of the Lego sets, go through how to build them, and give advice.

At the end of the show they do a stopmotion movie featuring the Lego set they just built. They also add a cardboard surrounding/scene for the Lego set.

The show is about eight minutes long, which makes it easy to watch. Some of the hosts are close to my age (8) which makes me think, “If they can do it, then why can’t I?”

The hosts work together to build the Lego sets, they all have the same room to work in. They’re really creative and they seem to use a lot of time and effort to build the set. My favourite Lego set they built was ALL OF THEM!!!!!!!!!!

I like Build Zone because the episodes are so funny and they fast forward the building process. They even show the mistakes that they make throughout the video as they try it again and again. This shows that the hosts put a lot of time and effort into the build.

Did you ever play with LEGO as a kid? I remember using the coloured bricks to construct buildings and intricate vehicles and robots, to make my imagination come to life. I also remember carefully tiptoeing around my living room to avoid the agony of stepping on a stray piece. LEGO is still one of the world’s largest toy manufacturers, but LEGO toys today look a whole lot different than the LEGO I remember.

Of course you’re not just getting bricks, and gears when you buy a LEGO product – you’re buying the instructions to build a Star Wars X-Wing Starfighter, re-enact a chase scene between Batman and Two-Face, or act out Disney Princess Rapunzel’s Fairy Tale. This is an example of a growing trend in the children’s toy industry toward commercialized toys: toys that are based on licensed characters and tied into other branded media products, like TV shows and movies. Commercialism has crept into our children’s toys and is changing how they engage in play. Play is one of the most critical parts of child development, but does commercialized play – vs unbranded play – allow children the same opportunity to imagine, explore, and learn?

Maria Montessori, an innovator in education, is known for advocating that “play is children’s work.” For kids, play is an essential part of physical and social development. Creative play is how children learn critical thinking and problem-solving skills. It is through make believe that kids explore, experiment, express themselves, and make meaning from their experiences.

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